Google acquires HTC’s smartphone team for $1.1 billion

Ending months of speculation, Google announced to acquire part of the Taiwan-based HTC Corporation’s mobile division team for $1.1 billion. Certain HTC employees – many of whom are working with Google to develop its Pixel smartphones – will join the US tech giant.

However, HTC will continue onward with its own smartphone business even after sending a good portion of its talent and operations over to Google. Separately, Google will receive a non-exclusive license for HTC intellectual property (IP).

“HTC has been a longtime partner of Google and has created some of the most beautiful, premium devices on the market,” said Rick Osterloh, Senior Vice President of Hardware at Google, in a statement. “We’re excited and can’t wait to welcome members of the HTC team who will be joining Google to fuel further innovation and future product development in consumer hardware.”

The transaction was expected to close by early 2018. This is the second time Google has acquired a smartphone manufacturer. It announced a $12.5 billion buyout of Motorola Mobility six years back and in 2014, sold it again to Lenovo. HTC will continue to build the virtual reality ecosystem to grow its VIVE business, while investing in other next-generation technologies, including the Internet of Things (IoT), augmented reality and artificial intelligence (AI).

HTC will also continue to have best-in-class engineering talent, which is currently working on the next flagship phone, following the successful launch of the HTC U11 earlier this year. Google will have access to HTC’s IP to support the Pixel smartphone family. Additionally, the agreement also represents a significant investment by Google in Taiwan as a key innovation and technology hub.

“Our unmatched smartphone value chain, including our IP portfolio, and world-class talent and system integration capabilities, have supported Google in bolstering the Android market,” said Cher Wang, Chairwoman and CEO of HTC. “This agreement is a brilliant next step in our longstanding partnership, enabling Google to supercharge their hardware business while ensuring continued innovation within our HTC smartphone and VIVE virtual reality businesses.” 

HTC Vive VR price cut by Rs 16,000 in India; now available at Rs 76,990

After HTC announced a $200 price cut of the Vive VR headset in the US yesterday, the company has now reduced the price of the headsets by Rs 16,000 in India as well. Which means, starting today, the HTC Vive VR headset will be available for Rs 76,990.

Additionally, on purchase of the Vive headset, you will get a free trial to Viveport Subscription, which is priced at Rs 399 per month in India. Under this subscription, you can choose up to five titles per month, and copies of other VR apps like Google’s Tilt Brush, Everest VR, and Richie’s Plank Experience. The HTC Vive VR system includes VR controllers, room scale movement, and a head mounted display that features a built in camera.

“Our goal at Vive has always been to offer the best and most advanced VR system and drive mass market adoption for VR across the globe,” said Cher Wang, Chairwoman, HTC. “We’re continuing to deliver on that commitment with this new price for Vive, making VR more accessible to a broader audience and driving the entire VR industry forward. Vive’s game-changing technology, best-in-class content and unmatched global partners are fulfilling the promise of VR like never before. With highly anticipated titles, and the upcoming launch of Vive Tracker, there has never been a better time to embrace Vive, and enjoy the most immersive VR experience available.”

Launched in April 2016, the headset was launched in India almost a year later. You can probably tell from the price tag of the headset, which even after a Rs 16,000 discount, is by no means easy on the pocket. Compared to the HTC Vive, Sony’s PS VR, which is available in the country, is priced far cheaper at Rs 41,990.

Just yesterday, HTC cut Vive VR headset’s prices by $200 (Rs 12,900 approximately) in the US, after which the VR gear costs $599 (approximately Rs 38,500). The price drop is currently applicable in select markets only, and will soon come in effect in other global markets including, Australia, New Zealand, and the Middle East.

HTC Vive VR

HTC U 11 with Snapdragon 835 SoC, Edge Sense gesture tech launched: Price, specifications and features

HTC has expanded its U-series of premium smartphones with the launch of the HTC U 11. The series had debuted with the U Play and U Ultra smartphones in January this year. One of the key highlights of the HTC U 11 is the Edge Sense feature that lets you access a range of customizable actions with gestures on the smartphone’s side frame. 

For example, users can launch the camera app by squeezing the edges of the device. You can also customize squeezing frequencies to perform a different set of actions. The squeeze gesture can also be used to trigger voice assistants like Alexa (in certain markets) and Google Assistant. It also works with gloves and in rain.

Another much talked about feature of the smartphone is 360-degree audio recording support. The technology allows the smartphone to capture 3D sound with acoustic features. It also lets you zoom into a particular section of the screen to hear the audio. The smartphone comes with HTC’s USonic feature for better audio experience through USB Type-C port. In the second generation of USonic, the audio technology comes with active noise cancellation technology. It also integrates with HTC’s iconic BoomSound-powered speakers.

The smartphone is available in certain markets in next few weeks and rest of the markets starting June. At the moment there’s no word on the availability of the device in India. The smartphone is available in the US for $600, which is approximately Rs 42,000. 

ALSO READ: HTC U Play Price Slashed in India, Now Available on Amazon at Rs. 29,990

HTC U 11 specifications, features

The smartphone comes with a 5.5-inch QHD display with Gorilla Glass 5 protection. It runs on HTC Sense 9 based on Android Nougat 7.1 out-of-the-box and is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM. The smartphone comes with 64GB of onboard storage and supports additional storage up to 2TB via microSD card.

For photography, the HTC U 11 has 12-megapixel rear camera with UltraPixel technology, 5-axis OIS, EIS and f/1.7 aperture. It supports 4K video recording with 360-degree sound recording. HTC says it is the highest ranked smartphone camera by DXoMark. The smartphone is HDR+ ready that is supposed to ensure the photos are noise-free and sharper. For selfie-enthusiasts, the HTC U 11 comes with 16-megapixel front-facing camera with 150-degree wide-angle lens.

Connectivity options include 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC and GPS among others. It is powered by a 3,000mAh battery. The smartphone comes with IP57 for water and dust resistance. Like other smartphones in the U-series, it also skips the 3.5mm audio jack in favor of USB Type-C audio. The smartphone is available in five colors including Amazing Silver, Brilliant Black, Ice White, Saphire Blue and Solar Red.

HTC U Play Price Slashed in India, Now Available on Amazon at Rs. 29,990

The HTC U Ultra and HTC U Play were launched in India in February for the price of Rs. 59,990 and Rs. 39,990 respectively. Just months after launch, HTC has slashed the price of the HTC U Play by Rs. 10,000, and has made it available for Rs. 29,990, while also announcing exclusive online availability with Amazon India.

The HTC U Play is available on Amazon India in Sapphire Blue and Brilliant Black colour options, and the zero cost EMI offer can also be availed by customers for a limited period. Amazon is also offering up to Rs. 2,300 Amazon Pay cashback on purchasing under credit card EMI, and one year insurance coverage for accidental and liquid damages by Cover Plus for free.

HTC U Play specifications and features

The HTC U Play is basically an affordable variant of the U Ultra with a smaller display size, but lacks the secondary display. It features a 5.2-inch full HD Super LCD display protected by Gorilla Glass on top. Under the hood, MediaTek Helio octa-core processor is paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It also comes with support for microSD card for storage expansion up to 2TB.

In the photography department, the HTC U Play features a 16-megapixel rear and front cameras. On the software front, the smartphone runs Android 7.0 Nougat with HTC Sense UI on top. It is fuelled by a 2500mAh battery with fast charging technology. Connectivity options include dual-SIM support, fingerprint sensor, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, and NFC.

HTC U Play

HTC U Ultra now available for purchase in India at Rs. 59,990: Specs and features

After its launch in late-February, HTC has made the U Ultra smartphone available to buy in the country on Monday, via the HTC India Store. The U Play, which was launched alongside the U Ultra in India, will go on sale in mid-March.

The HTC U Ultra is priced at Rs. 59,990 (MOP), and while the company had announced the smartphones would be available in Blue, Black, Pink, and White colour variants in the country, it has brought only the Blue and Black colour variants at this time. The highlight of both the HTC U Ultra and HTC U Play is their Sense Companion feature, an AI-based system that learns the user's daily patterns to provide usage recommendations and friendly advice. On the U Ultra, the Sense Companion will display important alerts and notifications on the second ‘ticker-style’ display, which is called the Priority Screen.

HTC U Ultra specifications and features

The HTC U Ultra has been crafted through what is called as a ‘liquid 3D design’. It essentially gives the smartphone a distinctive reflective appearance. Given the symmetric construction and a 3D metal and glass design, light falling on the surface of the HTC U Ultra is transformed as you turn the device.

In terms of specifications, the HTC U Ultra boasts a 5.7-inch Super LCD 5 display with 2560×1440 pixel resolution and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. Similar to the LG V20, the HTC U Ultra also features a secondary display that comes with 150 x 1040 resolution. The secondary display shows alerts and notifications, and works in accordance to the HTC Sense Companion AI platform that learns user behaviour over the time and shows only relevant information on the panel.

ALSO READ: HTC U Play launched In India, Price Starting At Rs. 39,990

Under the hood, the HTC U Ultra is powered by 2.15 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 quad-core processor with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of built-in storage. It further comes with microSD support for storage expansion up to 2TB. For photography enthusiasts, the smartphone sports a 12-megapixel UltraPixel rear camera featuring f/1.8 aperture with Optical Image Stabilization, super fast laser focus and PDAF with dual-tone LED flash. It is capable of shooting videos in 4K resolution with 3D Audio support. Upfront, it comes with a 16-megapixel front camera with UltraPixel mode. The front snapper comes with live make up mode, voice selfie, and full HD video recording support.

It is fuelled by a 3,000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0. It comes with power saving and extreme power saving mode. Connectivity options include front fingerprint sensor, dual SIM support, 4G LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Type-C support. On the software front, it runs on Android 7.0 Nogat-based HTC Sense. Being a Type-C based smartphone, it doesn’t feature the standard 3.5mm headphone jack.

HTC U Ultra, U Play launched in India, price starting at Rs. 39,990: Specs and featues

HTC finally launched its U Ultra smartphone today in India. The premium smartphone made its debut in January and among the many highlights, it boasts a Google Home-like always-on microphone feature. The HTC U Ultra is priced at Rs 59,990 and available in color choices of Black Oil, Cosmetic Pink and Indigo Blue. The smartphone will start selling from March 6. In addition to the HTC U Ultra, the company also announced the affordable U Play. It is priced at Rs 39,990 and will be available starting mid-March.

The HTC U Ultra is from the company’s newest U lineup that includes the affordable HTC U Play. With the HTC U Ultra, the company also introduced its new HTC Sense Companion artificial intelligence platform. With machine learning at its core, the personal assistant learns user behaviour over time to make the device more personal. It further uses data from the cloud to enhance user experience. Being a top-end smartphone, the U Ultra competes with smartphones in the premium category including the Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG G5.

HTC U Ultra specifications and features

The HTC U Ultra has been crafted through what is called as a ‘liquid 3D design’. It essentially gives the smartphone a distinctive reflective appearance. Given the symmetric construction and a 3D metal and glass design, light falling on the surface of the HTC U Ultra is transformed as you turn the device.

In terms of specifications, the HTC U Ultra boasts a 5.7-inch Super LCD 5 display with 2560×1440 pixel resolution and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. Similar to the LG V20, the HTC U Ultra also features a secondary display that comes with 150 x 1040 resolution. The secondary display shows alerts and notifications, and works in accordance to the HTC Sense Companion AI platform that learns user behaviour over the time and shows only relevant information on the panel.

Under the hood, the HTC U Ultra is powered by 2.15 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 quad-core processor with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of built-in storage. It further comes with microSD support for storage expansion up to 2TB. For photography enthusiasts, the smartphone sports a 12-megapixel UltraPixel rear camera featuring f/1.8 aperture with Optical Image Stabilization, super fast laser focus and PDAF with dual-tone LED flash. It is capable of shooting videos in 4K resolution with 3D Audio support. Upfront, it comes with a 16-megapixel front camera with UltraPixel mode. The front snapper comes with live make up mode, voice selfie, and full HD video recording support.

It is fuelled by a 3,000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0. It comes with power saving and extreme power saving mode. Connectivity options include front fingerprint sensor, dual SIM support, 4G LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Type-C support. On the software front, it runs on Android 7.0 Nogat-based HTC Sense. Being a Type-C based smartphone, it doesn’t feature the standard 3.5mm headphone jack.

HTC U Play specifications and features

The HTC U Play is basically an affordable variant of the U Ultra with a smaller display size, but lacks the secondary display. It features a 5.2-inch full HD Super LCD display protected by Gorilla Glass on top. Under the hood, MediaTek Helio octa-core processor is paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It also comes with support for microSD card for storage expansion up to 2TB.

In the photography department, the HTC U Play features a 16-megapixel rear and front cameras. On the software front, the smartphone runs Android 7.0 Nougat with HTC Sense UI on top. It is fuelled by a 2500mAh battery with fast charging technology. Connectivity options include dual-SIM support, fingerprint sensor, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, and NFC.